Conneticut, Coffee and Cacoethes
by raindrop13
Summary: The team goes to Conneticut for a case, the same town where JJ's cousin lives and this cousin just happens to be Spencer's soulmate. But will spencer realize it in time or will love pass him by? People focused, not case-focused, series!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ashley walked down the street, the wind whipping her hair around her shoulders. She ducked into her restaurant just as her phone rang. Hanging her coat up, she simultaneously answered.

"Hello?" she questioned, unsure of who would be calling her so early. "Hi, you! Guess who?" responded a sweet, bubbly voice, so easily recognizable. "Jennifer? Blue Jay? What a great surprise! What's up?" she cried, ecstatic that her beloved cousin was calling. They hadn't talked in months. "My team is coming to your town, and I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch sometime?" Jennifer's voice had a tone of doubt, as if she were trespassing. "Of course, silly, why wouldn't I want to dine with my favorite cousin?" she teased, harmlessly. "I'm your only cousin! And I wanted to know if you want to meet my team?" JJ asked, already plotting the set-up for Ashley and Spence. "Of course! When are you getting here?" Ashley asked, knowing, from Jennifer's summary of the job, that they'd be here soon. "In a couple hours. We'll head to lunch around noon; we'll meet you at the restaurant." JJ said, satisfied that Ashley and Spence would be meeting soon, very soon.

Ashley grinned to herself as she tidied up the restaurant and readied the stage; it was Friday, which meant she would perform a few covers. Ali and Cassandra walked in then, smiling and laughing as always. Ali was pale with freckles dotting her nose and bright orange hair. She was eternally shy, only showing her true colors to Ashley and Cass. Cassandra was her exact opposite, dating a different guy every week. She had tan skin, black hair, and inviting eyes. The three were best friends. Cassandra acted as hostess, while Ali was a chef, born and bred. Ashley owned the place, she was the bookkeeper and she held little shows here and then, every Friday. Melanie and Beth Ann fell in behind them. Mel and Beth were the waitresses, but Beth was known to help cook if Ali needed her. They mainly kept to themselves, though they'd opened up to the others a bit recently. They were twin sisters, and though not identical, they both shared the pale blonde hair, pallor, and pale green eyes.

Ashley filled them all in on the news, proceeding to open the restaurant and set some of the tables.

Story Break

The team was thrilled to hear they'd meet JJ's cousin. There were so few bright sides to their cases, and this was definitely prominent. Garcia was especially pleased, for JJ had revealed her brilliant match-making plan to her. Spencer was far too lonely, in her opinion, though he insisted he was fine. Maybe this Ashley girl would get him out of his rut. The morning went by uneventfully, all minds less on the unsub and more on the cousin JJ was so eager to see, and to rave about.


	2. Soul Mates

Chapter Two

**(A/N sorry, I don't normally do these. Please review with ideas or opinions! I write what you want! Also, if I make mistakes in spelling, grammar, etc. tell me and I'll edit them out! Enjoy! This continues from the last chapter.)**

Ashley, for not having prepared, looked amazing. Her blond hair was tied behind her head in a messy ponytail, as she had been running about helping people, and her dress was royal blue, knee length, and hinted at cleavage. Her relation to JJ was apparent, the blond hair was the same, as were the eyes. JJ hugged her cousin and made introductions before Ashley led the team to their table. Ashley was fitted snugly in between JJ and Spencer in the booth, by no accident.

She was enjoying herself immensely, pleased at the result. The team seemed to like her, and she liked them, especially Spencer, who remained mainly quiet, but seemed sweet. Derek, especially, appeared to her as more of a big brother than a stranger, as Garcia was very much a sister. Emily was completely welcoming, and David was kind and open. Hotch was different, definitely. He wasn't as chatty as the others, but when he spoke there was purpose, and often multiple meanings. She could see why he was the leader.

JJ was pleased with the reactions too, but for completely different reasons. The rest of the team had been informed when Spencer went for coffee, and even Hotch was willing to relieve his loneliness. They had all been instructed to leave quietly, separately, and subtly. After lunch, after a few minutes of cheerful conversing, Hotch excused himself saying he wanted to collaborate with the lead detective. Dave agreed and followed behind him. The girls all left at once, saying they wanted to check out the town and revisit the dumpsites, leaving Ashley and Reid alone together.

Spencer felt awkward and slightly uncouth, until Ashley started singing "Alone again, naturally" and he laughed. They fell into deep conversation, and he was stunned to hear her use statistics and percentages frequently. She giggled progressively, and both regretted his being called away by the team. After he left, Ashley was lost in thought. Even the Spanish inquisition from her friends couldn't pull her out of them.

The team didn't tease him when he arrived, which was his first clue, not even Morgan. His second clue was the girl's hushed whispers and giggles. The third was Hotch's furtive glances at him. He wasn't sure when he hit the realization but no matter when he had, he did. Pulling JJ aside he demanded the truth. "Okay, so maybe you were set up. But in my defense, you're practically soul mates, and you were so lonely!" she cried, not mentioning the hand the rest of the team had played. "I'm not saying it was a bad thing JJ. Just tell me next time!" he told her, glad to see the bewilderment on her face. Maybe she'd think twice before messing with his social life. Not that he thought she'd need to. She was right; he hadn't felt this way since… ever. Not even with Lila Archer.


	3. So It's A Date

Chapter Three

Ashley smiled when she saw Spencer walk in the next morning. She didn't see the rest of the team with him, which made it even better. She loved the team, her cousin and what appeared to be her cousin's surrogate family, but she really wanted to ask Spencer something.

Spencer, on the other hand, had been pushed here by the team with the orders to ask her out. He was worried. His awkwardness with women was epic, and what had happened with her yesterday after lunch was a phenomenon. Surely, it would never happen again.

Ashley walked up to him, the grin still firmly in place. "Hey Spencer! Need something?" she asked, hoping the answer was something along the lines of "No, I wanted to see you." The answer was in fact "Yeah, a coffee would be great." Trying to swallow her disappointment, she chastised herself. Silly girl, what would a guy like that see in her?

What he saw in her, at the moment, was a beautiful, confident woman who nearly matched his intelligence and just happened to be kind and funny to boot. But she didn't know this.

After he'd finished his coffee, he took a deep breath and waved her over. "Ashley I, uh…" he started but Ashley interrupted him and said "Spencer, do you want to go out tonight?" Reid was shocked for a moment, before grinning and answering "What time?" The worry left her face and she answered "I'll close early tonight. See you at six?" she said, dubious he'd agree, but pleasantly surprised when he did.


	4. Kisses, Surprises, and Nicknames

Chapter Four

Ashley immediately informed her friends of the situation. They insisted she went upstairs to her apartment. The restaurant was two stories, but the second story was split into five apartment rooms, one for each of the women. Melanie's and Beth Ann's were adjoining and Ali, Cass's and Ashley's were adjoining.

She quickly went out to get a pedicure and manicure, which landed her at noon. She went shopping for hours, raiding each store and praying for the perfect one. Finally she found it, a vibrant red that matched her nails. It showed the top of her cleavage, and ended at her knee. She grabbed some toeless stilettos with the same color and went back home.

When Spencer arrived, she was the perfect mix of sweet and sexy. He had dressed in a suit, and felt sadly underdressed compared to her, but she thought he looked gorgeous.

They went to an Italian restaurant, Spencer correctly assuming that she wanted to eat somewhere that didn't belong to her. The food was delicious, of course, but what each of them really hungered for was the conversation. Spencer was shocked that the awkwardness continued to linger somewhere else. After dinner she invited him up to her apartment, and he reeled with the question. He didn't refuse, of course, because this amazing girl was asking him up to her apartment, but he was sure where he wanted to go with this either.

When he stepped in, he smiled. The whole place was painted different shades of blue. The kitchen, which he glimpsed from the doorway, was turquoise. The living room was royal blue, almost navy blue, depending on the light. The bedroom, which he could see through an open door, was the color of ocean water, a perfect blue with hints of green, and brown, and yellow. Her comforter matched.

She led him gently to the couch, and he smiled as she waited for him to sit next to her. "Want to watch a movie? I've quite a collection!" she invited, enthusiastically, her tone of voice and pleasure at the thought making him want to laugh. "Sure." He said, trying to hold back the chuckle. "What do you wanna watch", she asked getting up to go to the cabinet, which, he presumed held the DVDs. "Anything's good." He smiled as she put something in the player and bounced back.

He stiffened a little when she snuggled up against him, but quickly discovered he liked the feeling. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her slightly closer to him. Her scent wafted up to him, an intoxicating mix of cooking and something sweet… possibly her perfume. He was vaguely aware of what was happening in the movie, but his main attention lay on her.

The same could be said of Ashley. She'd been worried when he stiffened, but her relief had been infinite when he relaxed and let his arm around her waist. Somehow, though she loved this movie, it couldn't capture her attention at all.

She looked up at him, a tiny smile on her face. He glanced down to see he doing so and immediately faced her, worried that he was doing something wrong, or that she was upset with him. The moment he did, she reached up and their lips met. Spencer jerked away in surprise, but regretted it the moment she did, because Ashley looked like a kicked puppy. She'd doubted herself before doing this, and he'd obviously not wanted it. "Ashley," Spencer tried to explain, "Ashley, I'm sorry!" but she just stood up and walked to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

She knew it was cowardly. She knew it was, on some level, mean. But she couldn't stay there on the couch with him, as he rejected her. She heard him knock on the door. She climbed on the bed and looked out her window, at the view of the city. She heard the door open, and looked up in surprise. Spencer stood there, looking sorry, with his eyes pleading. "You shouldn't leave the key above your doorway. It's not safe" he said before sitting next to her on the bed. "I'm sorry Ashley. Really, it's just I wasn't expecting it and I'm not used to this." He said, desperately trying to recapture her affection. "I'm the one who should be sorry Spencer. It's just, I thought…" she trailed off. "Ashley, I really like you. Please, please forgive me. For a genius I can be incredibly dumb." He joked, and was rewarded with a giggle. Looking up at him, she smiled a little, and sniffled before tentatively meeting their lips again.

This time, rather than pulling away, Spencer pulled her closer as relief flooded their bodies. He wrapped his arms around her and she moved her hands around his neck, pulling each other closer. They finally broke apart, each smiling.

"Ashley, I" Spencer wanted to tell her he thought he wanted to wait, but was interrupted by Ashley. "Spencer, don't. Please, just, let this be what it is. I don't want to rush." She said, and Spencer smiled. "Neither do I." he said, and reached in for a sweet, gently kiss.

She smiled when they pulled apart again, and rested her head on his chest. He pulled her onto his lap and kissed the top of her head. "Ash, I need to go. They're expecting me back soon." He told her. "Got a curfew now? I'll bet Blue Jay's your warden." She giggled. "Blue Jay?" he asked, confused. "Jennifer. That's my nickname for her, it always has been."

"Really?" he grinned. Now he was going to get JJ back for this whole match-making business. "Mmm." She murmured in confirmation. Reluctantly she climbed off of Reid's lap and pulled him off of her bed. "Well, if JJ's watching for you, you'd better go. I know the consequences of keeping her waiting." She teased lightly. How good it felt to him, to see that smile on her face once more. He kissed her lips lightly, before leaving the apartment and walking to the hotel.

Ashley watched him go, and heard the click of the door as he left, before collapsing on her bed. Smiling to herself she kicked of her stilettos, discarded her dress, and pulled on a T-shirt and some shorts that reached only to the middle of her thighs.

Just as she was dozing off, her phone rang. "Hello?" she answered groggily, unsure what to expect. One the other end was Ali, abuzz with a new opportunity. She was going for it, she had decided. Ashley was ecstatic for her best friend, her sister really, until she heard the location of this new job: Washington D.C.

While Ashley hung up and reeled with the news that her best friend was moving to another state, Spencer grinned at the expression on JJ's face when he'd greeted her as 'Blue Jay'.


	5. Focus

Chapter Five

Ashley awoke the next morning with the memories from the night before still planted in her mind. Her thoughts were free to drift until about nine in the morning, when the doorbell rang. Opening it revealed a very cheerful Spencer, with flowers at hand. She smiled at him, and the smile was returned.

Handing her the flowers, he stepped into the doorway and closed the door behind him before kissing her on the cheek. "Good morning beautiful. How'd you sleep?" he asked her, knowing full well he was kissing up, and not minding one bit. Ashley giggled before saying "Wonderfully, thank you. Want some breakfast?" He shook his head as she placed the flowers in a vase. "What are those? I don't think I've seen all of them before." Spencer smiled as he answered "The purple ones are crocuses. The red ones are azaleas. The blue ones are forget-me-nots, and the white ones are lily of the valley."

Now that her hands weren't full, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her fully on the lips. She pulled away, and led him to the couch, where she sat on his lap and kissed him deeply. He brazened and she felt his tongue trace her bottom lip, while she granted him entrance. Unfortunately, a knock sounded at the door. She sighed and got up to get it. Only then did he realize how short her shorts were, and how splendid her legs.

The knock had been a delivery man, who handed her a box while she signed his clipboard. "What is it?" questioned Spencer, always eager to learn more about her. "Oh, it's from my pen pal!" she smiled, seemingly always happy. "You have a pen pal?" he asked, briefly surprised. "We met on my trip to London, two years ago. Since then we've been writing about once a week. We started sending packages from time to time about six months ago." She said, sitting next to him and snuggling closer.

Opening the package, she revealed a cope of Treasure Island. She grinned and put the book on the coffee table. "Now, where were we?" she asked climbing atop him and straddling his hips while she moved her lips in sync with hers. "Mmm! Not that I'm not enjoying this, but I do have to get going." He said, regretting the disappointment in her eyes. "Kay! Thank you for the flowers." He chuckled. "They're not that big a deal, sweetheart." He said, more for the purpose of testing the reaction to the nickname than being modest. Her smile widened, and her eyes took on a look of extreme pleasure. She rolled of him as he stood up to leave.

"Come back tonight?" she asked, eager to see him again. He wasn't like any of the other men she knew. "Of course, if I'm welcome." He said with another small chuckle. She nodded jubilantly. He kissed the top of her head at the doorway in farewell, and then ducked out.

'Now to deal with the Ali situation' she thought to herself. There was no way she would stop her from going. But, how could she not go with her? She was her sister, not in blood but in heart. If she left, then she'd be leaving her restaurant and her other friends. Ugh, this was so confusing. Maybe she could get Cass to go with her?

As Spencer returned to work, he gained focus on the case. Somewhere in the back of his mind, however, he was thinking how much he'd rather be focusing on Ashley.


	6. Cookies

Chapter Six

Dressed in a pair of jeans and a purple cashmere sweater set, Ashley arrived at her apartment at 5:30. Not bothering to touch up her makeup, she put some pasta together, and put some cookies in the oven. At five past six, the doorbell rang. "It's open" she called. Turning, she saw Spencer enter the room, frowning deeply. "What's wrong?" she asked, worried. "There was another body today." He said, despairing. "Oh, Honey!" she said, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around him securely. "I'm sorry, I… you shouldn't have to think about this." He said sadly. "No, no! You should always tell me anything! It's just… sometimes I forget why you're here. C'mon, have something to eat." She said, leaving to pull the cookies from the oven.

He smiled weakly. "Cookies before dinner?" she laughed at him. "If an asteroid was to hit us right now, wouldn't you like to know that you had every cookie you could?" she teased, glad to see his smile strengthen. "JJ's coming to see you tonight. She said she'd given us enough time alone together. She wants to see you." He said. "She'll be here at 7:30." She giggled. "That's one hour and twenty minutes away. We have plenty of time to eat our cookies." She said before reaching her lips to his and doing quite the contrary. "I don't think I can eat any cookies if we continue like this, sweetheart." He teased, enjoying his new nickname for her. "Cookies or kissing; that is the question" she giggled, but none the less pulled away.

She went to her room, more dancing than walking, and he followed, closing the door behind him automatically. She noticed and looked at him quizzically. It occurred to him what it must have looked like and he stuttered out an attempted explanation. "What… n-no, I didn't mean to…" he was cut off by her lips, and giggles. "I know darlin'." She stated. Still giggling, she grabbed a book off her bookshelf and walked back into the living room.

JJ burst into the room a few moments later, smiling and full of apologies for being early. They had pasta, with cookies later, and the evening was pleasant. But throughout it, Ashley was surprised by the feeling that she'd rather be alone with Spencer. Spencer was surprised to share that feeling.


	7. Leaving, Rejoicing, and Sweet Revenge

Chapter Seven

Spencer smiled. They had just finished the case, caught the bad guy, succeeded in their endeavor. They'd spend the night and then go home! Home… away from Ashley… he'd forgotten. His mood, which had been soaring moments before, now diminished almost completely. He'd have to leave Ashley in the morning.

JJ noticed, of course. "Spence, what's wrong?" she asked, as they exited the department. "Tomorrow, we leave, meaning we leave Ashley." He said. "Do you know the statistics of long distance relationships?" he nearly shouted in despair. She smiled. "Didn't I tell you? You're perfect for each other." She said, pleased with her matchmaking, and unworried about the problem. She knew something he didn't. "Go see her now, I'll see you in the morning." She said. Only after she left did Reid sigh and trudge towards her apartment.

When she opened the door and saw his expression, her smile disappeared. "Spencer what's wrong?" she asked, terrified that something had gone wrong, that one of the team had been hurt, or worse. "We're leaving. Tomorrow. This is our last night together." His voice broke on the last sentence. "Oh, Spencer, no! Silly, didn't Blue Jay tell you? This was really mostly a prelude to my visit! I'm going to see her in about a few days; I'm staying for at least two weeks! Maybe more, because Ali is moving up there, and I want to get her settled in, but we've been planning this for months, how could you not know…" she was rudely interrupted by Spencer's lips.

"Well, as welcome as that was…" she trailed off when she saw the look in Spencer's eyes. "You okay sweetie?" she asked, unsure if the look was good or bad. He just nodded, but something about it seemed reassuring and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his hips. He wanted to tell her how glad he was that she would be with him a while longer. He wanted to inform her how he felt, and how it was so different than anything he'd ever felt before. But for now, he was content to just hold her.

Eventually, they ended up on the couch again; watching a movie, neither was paying it any attention. She snuggled against her, her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. He was stroking her hair, and when she was asleep, he grabbed his phone and sent JJ a text.

**To: Jennifer Jareau**

**That was mean JJ. **

"What are you doing?" asked Ashley, looking up curiously. "Nothing." He said pressing his lips to her head gently. "You can go back to sleep." She shifted slightly. "Maybe I don't want to." She said, kissing his neck. "Ashley" he warned, "Sweetheart, I need to get back in just over an hour." He said in between kisses. "I won't see you for a few days. I want to send you off." She said before resuming her kissing. "No you don't. The responsible thing to do would be to wait!" He cried the last part as she got a little too close. She looked at him. "You talk too much, you know that?" she asked. "So I've been told." He chuckled. She kissed his mouth passionately, and he pushed her off.

Her countenance reminded her off their first date, and fearing a repeat, he pulled her closer to him and soothed her. "Don't you want me?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly. "Of course I want you sweetheart. I just can't right _now_. I promise, someday…" he trailed off as she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. He rested his arms on her and rubbed her back.  
"You're right, of course. I want to wait too, but it's so _hard_!" she said, miserably. "Don't be unhappy, sweetheart. I'll see you in a few days. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to berate your cousin for making me worry." He teased. "Ooh! I want to come!" she cried excitedly, jumping up. "Remind me no to get you angry." He chuckled happily, watching her gracefully pull her coat on. She grabbed his hand and led him out the door, pausing only to lock the door behind her. They walked to the hotel together, hand in hand, and took the elevator, to the fifth floor, where the team was. Knocking on room 504, where Garcia was, they were whole-heartedly greeted and ushered in.

"I thought we wanted to get JJ?" Ashley looked up at Spencer questioningly. "Wait, why do you want to 'get JJ'" asked Garcia. Spencer quickly explained the situation. "Oh that was so mean of her!" cried Garcia "Even I knew! Of course I'll help you. Just tell me how." She confirmed. "I want to use the door that adjoins your rooms to sneak up on her." Spencer informed her. "Ooh, I've never seen this side of you before!" smiled Ashley. Garcia chuckled.

They snuck quietly through the door, into her bedroom. JJ was asleep on the bed, peaceful to all appearances. "What should we do?" asked Ashley. "Shhh. Watch me, and do as I do." Spencer advised. Grabbing one side of the sheets he pulled them over her head, Ashley doing the same. JJ woke up due to the movement, encased in sheets. "Aaaah! Argh! What?" JJ struggled against the sheets until the couple let her up. "Next time perhaps you'll think twice before terrorizing my boyfriend!"cried Ashley. "Okay maybe I deserved that. But really, you too? Et tu Brute?" she teased, while Spencer glowed at being referred to as 'my boyfriend'.


	8. Moving!

Chapter Eight

Spencer spent the next five days of his life in hell. The days took forever to pass, and there were no cases to distract him from his loneliness. The team seemed to sense it, and didn't bother him. Morgan even asked him out to drinks that Friday. Finally, Sunday arrived, with sweet salvation. JJ went to pick Ashley up at the airport early, and brought her to work with her.

The team greeted her gladly; they all hoped she would lift Spencer's spirits. The moment he laid eyes on her, he did feel a great deal better. 'This makes no sense' he thought, but didn't care.

Ashley on the other hand had been too busy to worry. She'd missed him certainly, too much to count, but only when she was given a moment to forget about Ali's move. For this reason, her night had been all but sleepless. She'd put on some makeup, but all natural tones. Her clothes were simple. It was warmer in Virginia than in Connecticut, so she'd put on a three-quarter sleeve navy blue dress that fell to her knees. Her hair was in a bun behind her, but some of it had fallen out on the plane ride, and now framed her face.

She was certainly beautiful, admitted Hotch, and smiled remembering the first time he and Hailey had been apart. Derek grinned at her, wrapping her in a brotherly embrace. Garcia squealed and hugged her while bouncing up and down. Emily hugged her with one arm while holding her mug of coffee in the other. Spencer just sat awkwardly in his chair.

JJ dragged Ashley to her office chatting all the way. "Man, what was that?" Derek almost shouted at Reid. "What do you mean?" asked Spencer, half terrified, half bewildered. "You didn't greet her? Dude, you're so whipped, that kind of thing is dangerous!" he scolded. "I didn't know how! What am I supposed to say?" he asked, now gripped with the fear that Ashley had taken it personally.

"I don't know! The truth would be nice. But I wouldn't mention how you've been walking around like a ghost the past week. Might sound stalker-like. Good luck, man. You're going to need it." He teased, patting Spencer on the back. Spencer grabbed his coffee mug and went down to JJ's office. When he knocked on the door, JJ opened it and walked out, winking at Spencer. 'That was weird' he thought, sitting down next to Ashley.

"Hey!" she greeted enthusiastically. Truthfully, she sort of understood Spencer's difficulty earlier, but it had still hurt a little. "Hi." He said, sitting in the chair next to her. She giggled and said "Well? Nothing to say?" Spencer chuckled and shook his head. "Well _I_ have something to say. I'm moving here!" she cried happily.

Spencer's eyes widened. His heart pounded. After it had set in a moment he smiled. "Why? When?" he asked. "Well, as you know, Ali's moving up here, and she's like my sister. JJ's pretty much my last close family, so I want to be closer to her. And Cass is moving up her with us. I trust the restaurant to Melanie and Beth Ann, though I'll be visiting once in a while to see them and check on things. I'm staying with JJ for the next two weeks anyway, so we'll go home shopping on the weekends.

Spencer just smiled and shook his head. "And, if I'm being honest, you had something to do with it." She finished. His smile widened and he hugged her. "You've got to tell the team. Like, know. Garcia will never forgive you if you don't let her go house shopping with you. Or if she's the last to find out. Or if you tell Morgan first. So, now, if you value your existence." He informed her. "She wouldn't hurt me!" said Ashley confidently. "No," Spencer agreed, "but she might wipe you off the face of the technological world." He teased. Ashley went white. She was perfectly capable of that. Grabbing his hand, she dragged him to the lair.


	9. Singing

Chapter Nine

The next morning Ashley stayed at JJ's apartment. It was cozy, and sweet, and she wanted to get settled and look into the local real estate companies. Goodness knew there were a lot of them.

Spencer, though eager to see her again, was content with the knowledge he would later. She was moving here, and the urgency to get every moment he could with her was gone. Every once in a while, while filling out paperwork, he would think of her, but his focus remained on getting done. If he stayed late, he wouldn't be able to make the date he'd planned with Ashley. Unfortunately, as he finished his last file, early, JJ called "conference room" and sent him an apologetic look.

'Great' he thought. Instead of the sweet, beautiful girl he was going to see he got to go catch a monster. JJ sent Ashley a quick text, apologizing for both of them, and sending her their cell phone numbers.

Four Days Later

Ashley had called JJ and Spencer every day since they'd left, but without them she felt her heart hurting. She'd gotten dependent. Ali and Cassandra were a great help, but they'd pretty much unpacked Ali, and Cass was staying there with her, on the couch. They'd shopped a bit for apartments, but none were really good. Ashley had plenty of money, she'd received a big inheritance and her restaurant had only added to that, plus her college had been paid for on a full ride scholarship, but none of them were the right one.

The case had been awful. JJ called her and put her on speaker phone so that the rest of the team didn't have to focus on the images drifting through their heads. "Hey Ash, you're on speaker." She said. Ashley heard the weakness in her voice and forced herself to be cheerful. "Hi! What can I do ya for?" she said.

"I wondered if you might sing for us. Something cheerful?" asked JJ, glad to hear the bubbly voice that was her cousin. "Gladly. Anything special? Garcia, you're the Queen of cheery." She specified. Garcia, laughing suggested "Don't Rain on My Parade" Glee version. "But of course. Only the best for ya'll!" she smiled, immediately bursting out into the song. Those on the plane were stunned into silence. Her voice was melodic, hitting every note, and drifting through the air, solid and clear but sounding more like liquid silver might.

"Anything else?" she asked when she'd finished. Only JJ was unsurprised by her skill, having heard her talent before. "Yeah. Why don't you sing one of your favorites?" Suggested JJ, not as unhappy now. Ashley began singing the Glee version of "I Dreamed a Dream" With background music from the computer.

"That was wonderful Ash. Thank you so much. Will you come pick me up? We'll be there in an hour." Said JJ. "Of course cousin! See you there ya'll!" she answered and they heard the beep that signaled the end of a call. "Wow" murmured Garcia, "I didn't see that one coming." "Well I told you she sang." JJ said to the accusing looks of the team. "JJ, that wasn't singing. That was something else." Derek informed her. "I've met women who work their whole live to achieve that level of beauty in their voices, and she's what? Twenty-seven? Twenty-eight?" he told her. "Where did she go to school?" asked Hotch. "Oh. She has a bachelor of arts in Journalism, from Georgetown and a bachelor of arts in Management from somewhere." JJ said. "No vocal training?" asked Emily dubiously. "Well… she took chorus in high school." Said JJ doubtfully. "So that was all raw talent. Why does she own a restaurant again?" thought Morgan out loud.

JJ noticed that Spencer had remained quiet through all of this. "How about you Spencer? Defending me, or attacking me?" she teased. "Defending you, I guess. I don't see how it's your fault that we didn't know she sang." He answered, thoughtfully.

When they pulled up to the tarmac, Ashley was waiting for them. She hugged them all, and held Spencer's hand as they entered the building, her arm slung around JJ's waist. "Any new prospects for home?" Derek asked her, hoping she'd be moving sooner than later. "Nope." She said, popping the 'p'. "Well, if Jayje kicks you out, you can always stay with me!" said a cheerful Garcia.

Ashley laughed, and it occurred to Reid that her laugh was equal only to the sound of her voice in his mind. He noticed that her hair was a little wavy tonight. As they all separated in the bullpen, Ashley headed off with JJ. Spencer sighed, knowing he would have work to make up. Chasing after her, he grabbed her wrist in the hall. "Hey, wait a minute!" he said. JJ was glowing with pride, and she went off in the direction of her office. "Do you need something Spencer?" Ashley asked happily. "I got to see your apartment. Don't you want to see mine?" he invited her. She nodded gaily, and after informing JJ, they went off on their long-awaited date.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

**(A/N- Hi, my beloved readers! I haven't gotten any suggestions, so I'm going to continue in this happy, rather fluffy direction. If you don't like it, there's this magic little button at the bottom of this page to let me know!)**

Spencer had taken her to a little bar, where they'd had drinks and little conversation. Spencer had walked with her, hand in hand, to his apartment. When they'd walked in, she'd smiled. The place was messy, made up of neutral colors, and filled to the brim with books.

They'd sat down on the beige couch for a moment, before Spencer sighed and said "I've missed you, you know." To Spencer this was a substantial confession. He missed very few people. He missed his mother, certainly, but more the unattainable version of his mother that she was when he was very small, on her best days. He missed the team, when he was away from them. He missed Gideon constantly. Now, he missed Ashley when she was gone.

She smiled. "I missed you too." She said, leaning in for a little peck on the lips. Spencer wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into his embrace. "I like your apartment." She said quietly. Spencer chuckled. Ashley climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, and resting he head on his shoulder so that she faced his neck. Wrapping his arms around his torso, Spencer couldn't imagine having wanted this any different way.

"What time is it?" she asked against his neck. "The minute hand _just_ passed 9:45. We have plenty of time." He assured her. "Mmm. You want to come apartment shopping with me tomorrow? It's Saturday, so I promised JJ…" she trailed off looking at his face from where she lay. "I'd love to. Are you sure it's OK with JJ?" he asked, not wanting to offend his friend. Ashley merely laughed and nodded. "She'll be thrilled. She's always thought herself quite the matchmaker, and I'm only proving her right." She giggled. "What time?" he asked. "Does ten sound good to you?" she questioned. "I'll be there" he said smiling. He kissed her cheek sweetly.

"I have to be back soon." She told him. "Who's got a curfew now?" he teased her. Giggling, she kissed his neck. "Okay, ha ha ha. But, unfortunately I _do_ have to go, so…" she drifted off, and Spencer pressed his lips to hers. "Are you sure I couldn't convince you to stay?" he asked, praying the answer was no. Smiling, she regretfully said "Yes. I really need to be on time. Remember, you work with JJ." She teased. "Ugh. You're right. See you in the morning." He said standing, and pulling her up to her feet. He leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Ashley awoke to the sound of moving about in the kitchen. JJ was preparing breakfast, so she rose and helped her. "I invited Spencer to join us this morning. You were right. You're a supreme matchmaking queen. Congratulations." She told her. "Yay! You're finally going to be with someone I like!" cried JJ. "My past relationships haven't been _that_ bad!" expostulated Ashley. JJ rolled her eyes, knowing that they both knew better than that.

At 9:55 the door bell rang. JJ opened it, and practically dragged Reid in, bouncing up and down. "She's had a little caffeine this morning, can you tell?" laughed Ashley. "Fine. Then I won't be excited that you're moving here. I'm completely apathetic." Said JJ, feigning offense, and trying to keep a straight face. She failed miserably.

"So what's the plan?" asked Reid. "There are a few apartment buildings I want to view, and then we'll go check out some townhouses in this suburban neighborhood nearby." Said JJ. "Don't forget those adorable little condos downtown!" called Ashley, who had left the room to grab her purse. "Right." Responded JJ. Grabbing Spencer's hand Ashley began pulling then in the direction of the door.

Reid's pulse quickened at her touch and he did his best to keep up with the girls as they walked. "Girls! Slow down, it's not like the apartments are going to walk away!" he cried, which earned a laugh from JJ and a peck on his blushing cheek from Ashley. They did, for all their laughing slow down, and Spencer was now able to keep up with them easily.

"Isn't Garcia coming?" Spencer asked – he couldn't imagine she was missing out on something like this. "She's going to help decorate the place when I get it. She's got a Spend-All-Day-With-Kevin day today." JJ explained. "What's your favorite book?" asked Ashley. "I don't have one. I like the foundation series, but I'm also a fan of classic English literature and…" Spencer stopped when he realized he was rambling again. "Sorry." He said red in the face. "For what?" Ashley asked, bewilderment marking her face. "He has a tendency to ramble." JJ stated. "It's cute when it's not annoying." Reid's face went redder. "Well, I don't see how it can be annoying. Unless he calls you at, like five in the morning to ramble. I ramble. But, then, you think I'm annoying too, so I'm not really proving anything." Spencer smiled. "I promise I won't call you at five in the morning to ramble." He said, capturing her hand in his, and entwining their fingers. "I don't think you're annoying _all_ the time, just at random intervals." JJ defended herself.

"What's your favorite holiday?" asked Ashley, continuing with her haphazard interrogation. "Why do you care? And Halloween, or Christmas, depending on my mood." Spencer stated. "I _care_ because it's interesting. What's your favorite movie." She asked. "I don't really watch movies." Spencer blushed. "Well, we'll have to fix that then." She smiled. "I can help with that. Why don't we go see something when we're done with the shopping?"

"What's out now?" asked Ashley, subtly pressing herself up against Spencer to look across him at JJ. "Some chick flicks, a few cute horror movies. Honestly, I vote for the horror movies." JJ grinned. "How can a horror movie be cute?" Ashley asked "Isn't that kind of a failing for the producers?" Spencer laughed quietly. "Oh, here's the place!" Cried JJ, ignoring the question.

The checked out the various styles of the apartments, made a few notes and headed to the condos. They chose to take the metro, because the condos were on the other side of town. Ashley sat in between JJ and Spencer. The metro was uncharacteristically empty for a Saturday, and the only other people there were a family of tourists on the other end and an elderly couple sitting across from them.

The couple smiled at them, and glanced at each other every once in a while. They were there fairly soon, and when they got off, Spencer heard the woman whisper "Remember when we were young and in love Daniel?" He didn't hear 'Daniel's' response, but he couldn't help but glow at the comment. Was that was he was? In love?

None of the condos were to their liking, so they grabbed a cab to check out the townhouses. Ashley snuggled closer to him to give JJ some room. JJ pretended not to notice the grin on Spencer's face when she did.

Finally, Ashley found one she liked, and talked to the real estate agent about contracts. Spencer's head spun with how quickly this was happening. One night she was just JJ's cousin, and now she was this wonderful girl who he… loved? Was that the word? They'd only known each other for a couple of weeks, that didn't seem normal. But then, Ashley was anything but normal. She was extraordinary.

"Well, I guess that's that then!" smiled Ashley as they got into a cab. "Want to go see one of those horror flicks to celebrate?" teased JJ. Ashley wrinkled her nose. "Why? I hate horror movies." She said. "Because it gives me an excuse to tease you." She responded. Ashley turned to Spencer. "Help me out!" she cried, awaiting a response. "I'm with Ashley, horror films creep me out." He said, trying to appease her. "Thank you." She said, snuggling closer to him on the seat. "Fine. Want to go order some pizza at my house?" she said, smiling brightly at the idea.

"Sure!" Ashley said, hugging Spencer tightly. "Okay." Spencer nodded, loosening Ashley death grip a little and turning to look as JJ's phone rang. "Oh, man! We've got a case. Sorry Ash." She said, her smile having disappeared and being replaced with a deep frown.

"No problem! I'll just go and help Ali decorate her new apartment." Ashley said. Spencer's frown hurt her more than the news did, although she wasn't thrilled at the fact they'd be gone for an undetermined interval.

As she walked to JJ's apartment, she was laced with regret, the same feeling that was diffusing throughout Reid.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The past six days had been lonely. She missed Spencer and JJ. She missed Derek and Emily and David. She even missed Hotch. She had moved into the townhouse, and the essentials had been put together. Penelope had helped her put the decorations up, so there were pictures and paintings up on the walls, with furniture where it should be. The living room took up the whole second floor. The couch and TV were in one corner, while a piano was in the adjacent corner. There was a desk along the opposite wall , with a computer and a printer on it. Shelves lined the walls, filled with pictures and books. The bedroom and guest bedroom were on the third floor. Her bedroom was painted purple, with a white comforter dotted with purple on the bed. The guest bedroom hadn't been filled yet. Both rooms had their own bathroom. The kitchen was on the ground floor, as well as a bathroom, and a big space with where she'd put the dining room furniture. The basement was finished, but she was just using it as storage right now.

Now she was surveying the area, planning things out. The town house was big, but the rooms were mainly small. She sighed and sat on the piano. She didn't have any sheet music with her so she played something she'd memorized. "I Dreamed A Dream", the original from Les Miserables. She sang along after the first few notes. "I dreamed a dream in time gone by" she sang "That God would be forgiving" she continued singing and somewhere around "He slept a summer by my side" she felt arms wrapping around her and lips being pressed to her neck.

Glowing with joy she spun around and embraced Spencer. "Why didn't you call?" she accused in between kisses. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her while sitting next to her. "I wanted to surprise you." She shook her head at him. "Well, you succeeded". He smiled weakly. The case had worn him out. "Play for me?" he asked, gesturing to the piano. "What do you want to hear?" she inquired diligently, wanting to make him smile or laugh again. "Something light would be amazing". He told her. She nodded, and began playing "Walking on Sunshine". After the first few verses she began quietly singing along. "Do you ever write anything of your own?" he asked nonchalantly. "Ingrate". She teased, kissing his cheek. He chuckled, as she shook her head. "I don't really. Sometimes I make adjustments to other songs, but I never write anything myself." She told him.

He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and rested his head on her shoulder as he listened to her singing and playing. "The girls are coming for dinner. Emily included. And they're dragging Derek along." He said. "What do you mean, dragging? He's not happy to see me? How dare he! I might have to put something in his food now!" she teased, earning a chuckle. "I'm sure he'd like that." Spencer muttered sarcastic. "And he did want to see you – he'd just rather have gone out and found a girl tonight, that's all". He soothed her. "Well! I'll show him a girl. Wait until he meets Cassandra!" she giggled mischievously. "Oh, no you don't. From what you've told me, she's as bad as he is. It'll be a train wreck!" he cried, jerking his head off her shoulder. "Or they'll fall deeply in love, have six wonderful children and be forever in my debt." She said, still grinning. He shook his head at her. "The probability of that happening is" he was rudely interrupted by her lips against his, not that he minded.

"C'mon, I have to get dinner ready". She said, grabbing his hand, a pulling him with her. "Oh! And I should invite David and Hotch and Jack and Hailey! I want to meet Jack and Hailey, you know. He seems so cute in his pictures." She said, still pulling him down the stairs.

Whirling around on the last step, she asked him for their numbers. He grinned, took her phone from her, and downloaded them. Taking the phone she nearly ran into the kitchen, already talking to David about coming over. He shook his head and grinned. Sitting at the dining table, where he could see her trying to convince Dave, he shook his head at how lucky he was. She smiled as she shut her phone.

Racing into the room she sat on him so that she was straddling his hips. "Dave's coming!" she cried, as if this was a great achievement. For anyone else, it might have been, but Dave couldn't say no to Ashley, though sometimes she needed to berate him a bit. "Good". Spencer laughed at her enthusiasm. In truth, her enthusiasm was mostly due to his return, but he didn't know this. "Now to convince Aaron." She said looking at her phone as she dialed. "Hello! Hi Mrs. Hotchner! I'm Ashley. I'm Spencer's girlfriend and JJ's cousin. Now, I'm really glad I caught you because Aaron would fuss. Do you want to all come over for dinner tonight at my townhouse? The whole team is coming? Really! Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're my new favorite. Next to Spencer and Blue Jay and Garcia. Bye!" she hung up and smiled at Spencer. "I like Hailey." She informed him.

She was still sitting on his lap in the rather compromising position, so Spencer pecked her lips before standing both of them up. "Want some help with dinner?" he asked. "Hmm? Oh. Yes, very much. What to make, what to make?" she said, rooting through the pantry. "Does the team have any allergies?" she asked, unsure of what was safe. "No, they're all fine." He told her, amused at the pleasure with which she prepared the meal.

She bounced out of the pantry, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. His surprise added to her pleasure. When they pulled away for air, Spencer looking rather bewildered, she handed him her phone and said "Call Ali and Cass and invite them over. Don't let up until they agree to come".


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

JJ and Garcia had arrived early, of course. They helped her set the table and make dinner. Emily and Derek had been next, arriving at almost the same time. David followed, feigning irritableness, and the Hotchner family was next. Luckily, dinner was by this time prepared, because after Jack arrived, Ashley spent the whole of her time with him. Watching them was amusing.

Hotch was surprisingly laid back, and not the least annoyed with Ashley. As promised, the moment Cass arrived, Derek was enraptured. The entire evening fell prey to their cat and mouse game of flirting. The evening was decreed a success.

After everyone had returned to their homes, except Spencer, Ali was dancing around the living room while music played from her iPod speakers. Spencer sat on the couch watching her. She was so graceful, and he was so clumsy, it astounded him they could both be on the same planet. She turned to him. "Dance with me?" she asked, pleading with her eyes. "I don't dance". Spencer said flatly. He didn't want to accidentally hurt her.

She crossed her arms. "You do now". She argued, pulling him to his feet. "I don't know how!" Spencer told her, desperately trying to convince her to leave him out of this. "Then I'll teach you". She told him, planting a tiny kiss to the bottom of his jaw. "C'mon" she said dragging him to the center of the room where she put his arm around her waist, and centered him across from her. "Move your body to the music." She told him and laughed when he attempted to.

Spencer blushed. "I don't dance". He told her, and stomped back to the couch. He'd only done this because he wanted to please her, and now she was laughing at him. Just like all the other girls he'd ever met. Ashley frowned. "Spencer, what's wrong? Spencer?" She fretted. She sat down next to him, but he wouldn't face her. "Spencer?" she was close to tears now. How could something start off so wonderful, and now be so awful.

He saw how upset she was and hated himself for it. "It's okay sweetheart. It's okay. I'm sorry, I overreacted." He pulled her closer to her, but he still wouldn't look her in the eyes. "Overreacted at _what_ Spencer? Tell me! I have a right to know what I did wrong!" she said, now slightly angry. "You laughed at me." Spencer whispered, hanging his head, his face red.

"What? Spencer, no! I was, oh look at me!" she forced his head up and met his eyes. "I was laughing because I was happy, I wasn't laughing at you. I would _never_ laugh at you. Ever." She shook her head. How could he be so ridiculous? Spencer was still blushing but was now smiling. "Really?" he asked. "Yes, really! Honestly Spencer for a genius you can be amazingly dumb." She scolded him. He grinned, recalling the words he had said on his first date.

A song came on the IPod that he liked. "What's this song called?" he asked. "It's "Love Story". She told him. 'It certainly is' he thought as they cuddled together on the couch. 'It certainly is.


	14. Little Star

Chapter Fourteen

Ashley had accidentally fallen asleep in his arms, later that night. Spencer had picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, with minor difficulty. Although she was tall, she was lean, and she didn't weigh more than 110 pounds.

He had tried to let her go on the bed, he really had, but she had clung to his shirt so tightly that it was impossible. His plan had been to lay with her until she let go, or loosened her grip. His plan would've worked too, except that as he lay with her, he too fell asleep.

He awoke later, around ten. The bed next to him looked as though someone had slept in it, but no one was there. After a few moments he remembered where he was and deduced what had happened. Pushing himself up, he saw no one. Going downstairs, however, led him into the kitchen, where a cheery Ashley was frying eggs.

He walked up behind her and when she turned around to get something he planted a zealous kiss on her lips. "Mmm!" she cried, shocked for a moment, before relaxing. Pulling away, she smiled at the cheeky looking Spencer. "Good morning!" he said. She set down her spatula and coffee, and wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing him with equal fervor.

Chuckling, Spencer returned the kiss, before Ashley pulled away and looked at him. "Sleep well?" she asked. "Very well, thank you. And yourself?" he returned. "Same". "Why didn't you wake me?" Spencer asked. "You were so peaceful, and it's a Sunday! You should sleep in on Sundays" she informed him. He shook his head at her and smiled. "You should have woken me. I missed you" he told her. "You were sleeping" she said incredulously. "But I was dreaming of you" he told her truthfully. "You, my friend, are a _hopeless_ romantic. It will get you far." She told him, planting a tender kiss on his lips, before handing him a plate of eggs.

Sitting down at the table, Ashley watched as he poured a cup of coffee. She giggled when Spencer poured what must have been half her sugar bowl in it. "Want some coffee with your sugar, dear?" she teased. "Oh, ha ha." Spencer muttered, while play glaring at her.

"Are you a cat or a dog person?" she asked. He looked at her quizzically. "I'm either, but I do generally prefer cats. Nice dogs can be too big, and small dogs are too mean. The right cat is the perfect blend. Why do you ask?" He was unsure of her reasoning. "I love animals, and the townhouse people here allow pets, but I didn't know what you like". "And you felt my opinion should factor into your choice?" he asked, hesitant of whether he should be overjoyed or cautious. "Well it would be pretty crappy if I got a pet and you could no longer enter my home because you had allergies, or hated it, or" and, once again, the cliché of kissing for a sentence ending was exercised. Spencer arose to get more coffee as Ashley looked after him.

Half Hour Later

"Spencer you've gone through my entire coffee pot." Ashley informed him as she made another batch. "Shamelessly. You have good coffee." He said cheekily. "And you're not even sheepish! God, if you went through all this coffee, I can only imagine my poor sugar supply! You're lucky I like to bake things without warning, or I wouldn't have enough!" she informed him, sitting down until the coffee machine was finished.

Ignoring her, Spencer asked what was on the day's agenda. "I'm finding a job. I might sing somewhere, because I love it, or I could bake, or there's a cute florist I saw down the street with a help wanted sign in its window." She told him. "You should sing. You're an amazing singer". He told her. Giggling, she kissed his cheek as she went to get the coffee. She poured them both a mug, adding the ungodly amount of sugar to his, before sitting down again.

They took sips from their identical mugs, both of them immediately wrinkling their noses and expostulating disgust before switching mugs. "How do you drink that?" asked Spencer. "Me! What about that sweet concoction you call coffee? Mine is black, thank you very little, which may be unusual, but _that_!" she couldn't even finish. "You drink _black_ coffee?" Spencer couldn't even imagine going through the day with nothing but black coffee to run on.

His cell phone rang. "Oh no." he muttered. But, despite his hopes and prayers, the call was in fact a case. He looked at Ashley, unhappy. "Go. It's your job. You can't help it. Besides, it would have been boring, just following me around whilst I job search." She assured him. "You're perfect." He told her, kissing the top of her head. He quickly changed his clothes from the go-bag that remained in the car and was out the door in ten minutes.

Later that day, Ashley got the job at the florist. She was to help with bookkeeping and arrange flowers for customers' special orders. She went home satisfied, but strangely empty. Looking out the view of her bedroom window, her eyes fell on a star that seemed to shine brighter than the others. 'I love him.' She thought to the star. 'I love him, but he doesn't love me. How could he. He's this amazing person and I'm just… _me_. Oh little star, please help me.'

Across the country, in a small inn in Wisconsin, Spencer Reid was thinking the same thing about her to the little star.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

A few days later, as they gathered into the bullpen, they were pleasantly surprised to see something on their desks. Tiger lilies, one for each of them, next to a note that said "Happy October" in perfect calligraphy. Spencer shook his head. Ashley. Walking to the lair, where he hoped she was, he found he was in luck. Standing over Garcia was a cheery Ashley, grinning as Garcia moved photos across the screen.

"Spencer!" she cried happily running to embrace him. "Hi Junior G-man!" said Garcia. "I'm gonna go find Derek. See ya'll later." She told them. "I missed you. God how I missed you." Murmured Spencer into her hair. "Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly happy you were gone myself. C'mon, I've got to find Blue Jay." He smiled as she pulled him along by the hand.

Story Break

Spencer climbed into bed. He'd changed into his pajamas, a pair he'd had in his go-bag, and was awaiting Ashley's appearance. She came in a moment later, dressed in only a large T-shirt and her undergarments. He stared for a moment, astounded by her beauty, before she fell into place beside him, snuggling under the covers up next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "Hang on, I have something I want to give you." She told him, getting up from bed and grabbing a box.

It was wrapped in cream paper, with a gold bow on it. Handing the box to Spencer, she waited impatiently whilst he opened it. Pulling out a white coffee mug with "Spencer" painted in royal blue letter on its forefront, he looked questioningly at her. "What?" he appealed to her for an explanation. "I am _never_ drinking your coffee again. Never." She said firmly. The look on her face feigned irritancy, but he just laughed and kissed her cheek.

Setting the mug and the waste on the night stand, he pulled her close and said "Does that mean I'll be staying over again?" She laughed and said "You're staying tonight, aren't you?" before kissing his lips serenely. Laughing, Spencer pulled her closer and rested his chin on her head as she snuggled against his chest. "Most definitely" he murmured before kissing the top of her head. "Mmmm" she moaned, already drifting off to sleep.


End file.
